A typical roadtest for any bike would be a couple of days honing around town with an added long stint on a highway for good measure. But for the Modenas Elegan 250 I had a special treat lined up for it. And here at CBT we take our road (or off-road) tests seriously. I was up for camera bike duties in the Jelajah Malaysia bicycle race (its’ 53rd edition by the way), a 5 stage international level road race from Shah Alam, Selangor all the way up to Alor Setar, Kedah.
Since Modenas was one of the main sponsors, it was a matter of convenience that I chose an Elegan as my workhorse for these duties. This entails riding two-up with the cameraman (and his attendant video camera and various attachments and batteries) every day for up to 160 kilometres a day. Camera bike duties require the bike to run from as slow as 30 km/h for kilometres on end and also be able to run ahead to do pass-bys or catch up to breakaway groups. Reliability and handling is paramount as there were no re-takes in a bicycle race. One of the stages would take us up to the peak of Gunung Jerai (1217 m) in Kedah (a twisty 13 km uphill climb) where the cyclists slow to a 5-10 km/h crawl. I usually run an Yamaha FJR1300, so this is a gruelling test for any bike or scooter.
The Elegan is definitely a maxi-scooter, with a long 1540mm wheelbase and a 193 kg dry weight. The size and weight is not overtly apparent when you sit on it, as it is quite well balanced. What is immediately apparent is the comfort. The seat is wide and comfortable with a convenient backrest for the rider and large grabhandles for the passenger. The passenger footrests fold in for a sleek look.
The 249.1 cc liquid-cooled SOHC single pushes out 22.1 hp @ 7000 rpm. A 14 inch front wheel and 13 inch on the rear, both sporting petal disc brakes and rolling on 120/80 and 150/70 tyres respectively. The bright twin headlight assembly is coupled with daytime running lights and separate turn signals. The LED rear/brake light is ‘X’-shaped with turn signals integrated into the unit. The 12.5 litre fuel tank is located under a door between the riders’ legs and the cap is lockable. The left panel has a sizable glove compartment with a handy USB port for charging your phone or attaching a GPS unit.
Under the seat, a huge compartment is available, enough to swallow a full-face and open-face helmet together with space left over for other items as well. The seat itself is opened from the ignition key and supported by a gas strut. Very handy.
The Elegan is very comfortable, even with a pillion. Every day was at least a 200 kilometre day so the comfort was welcomed.
Power-wise, the Elegan was quite good. The actual test of its power would be the climb up Gunung Jerai. Steep and twisty, the Gunung Jerai road has incredibly steeply inclined apexes. But the Elegan took these obstacles in stride and still managed to accelerate smoothly and eagerly right up to the top, even slowing down to 10 km/h and then speeding up to chase cyclists further ahead. The way down after the race was also a good test of the brakes. Speaking of which, initially the front brake might have seemed a little weak in comparison to the fierce rear. But in reality, if the front were as strong as the rear, I would probably be writing this from the top of a tree in Gunung Jerai…
A final hurdle for the Elegan was the ride back to Kuala Lumpur from Alor Setar. The Elegan is slightly limited by its’ variator to about 130 km/h (and almost 140 km/h downhill). This equates to about 8500 rpm and that figure is definitely after the torque peaks. At 120 km/h, the Elegan is comfortable and will cruise with a fuel consumption figure of around 5 l/100km. That equates to a little over 200 kilometres per tank. And the seat allows you to take it the maximum distance. Note that the figures above are as indicated by the instrumentation and not true speeds and distances. But I took the Elegan from Gurun to Sungei Perak (170 km) with plenty to spare.
Priced at RM13,599, including GST, and is available in white or black. The Elegan is Modenas’ best shot for a bigger slice of the Malaysian scooter market. A low-cost, reliable 250 cc scooter like the Elegan is an excellent shot to bringing back Modenas to the fore once again.